An upper division college is a type of educational institution that traces its roots to educational ideas put forward in the late 19th and early 20th century. They were developed primarily in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 during the 1960s in response to the growing number of community college

Community college

A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...

 students seeking to continue their education. They differ from a regular college

College

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

 or university

University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 in that they do not provide the first two years of undergraduate instruction and require applicants to already have completed two years of study at another institution.

History

In the late 19th and early 20th century, educational leaders such as William R. Harper and David Starr Jordan

David Starr Jordan

David Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...

 sought to separate the preparatory portion of college studies from "real" university work undertaken in the third and fourth years of study. Jordon, then president of Stanford University

Stanford University

The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...

, proposed splitting the institution into two parts in 1907 to reach this goal, however changes the California secondary school system halted this proposal.

Upper division colleges were first established as mainstream institutions in the 1950s in the United States as a means to respond to the need for educated professionals to assist in the space race. While earlier efforts had been undertaken at the University of Georgia

University of Georgia

The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...

 in 1858, they failed due to the onset of the Civil War.

The first upper division college was the College of the Pacific in Stockton

Stockton, California

Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, which operated as an upper-division college between 1935 and 1951, before becoming the University of the Pacific in 1961. This was done as part of a plan to reduce costs and increase enrollment by subletting college facilities to a high school which assumed public junior college

Junior college

The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...

 status and funding. However, disagreements between the College of the Pacific and the affiliated junior college, as well as accreditation

Accreditation

Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...

 issues resulting from the arrangement, led to the abandonment of the experiment in 1951.

The first college founded as an upper division college was University of Michigan–Flint, which was founded in 1956 as Flint College, however it converted to four year status in 1965 as a result of changes in the development of the region.

Another notable early upper division college was Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...

, which opened in 1964 and served third and fourth year undergraduate students, as well as graduate students. Later, in 1984, Florida Atlantic expanded to include first and second year undergraduates and ceased to be an upper division college.

At the time they were created, upper division colleges were seen as a way to better manage community resources and provide opportunities for students. It was thought that separating the upper division from the lower division of coursework would improve the relationship between undergraduate and graduate programs. Additionally, some believed that by creating 2+2 programs between community colleges and upper division colleges, students could continue their education without the state needing to expand existing community colleges into full four year colleges. Some commentators at the time saw the widespread development of upper division schools, in the same way community colleges had expanded in the prior decades.

Decline

By the 1980s and 1990s, many states began to move away from the upper-division model. Despite concerns of crowding out of community colleges, it was felt that offering only the upper-level courses resulted in a poor public image and prevented the establishment of a full university setting. Many of the students seeking to transfer from a community college, desired a full college experience, including electives and extra-curricular activities. The inability to reach a large critical mass prevented the upper division colleges from competing effectively with four year college. Some upper-division colleges such as the City University of New York

City University of New York

The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...

's Richmond College

Richmond College

Richmond College is a primary and secondary school in Galle, Sri Lanka. The school was established in 1814 by Christian missionaries. Richmond College is now a well established institution with a reputation as one of the finest schools in Sri Lanka...

 merged with community colleges, while others such as Florida Atlantic

Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...

 and SUNY Institute of Technology opened their doors to freshman and sophomore undergraduates. very few upper-division colleges remain in the United States, with almost all merging with community colleges or converting to four year status.

Colleges

Name	Started upper division	Ended upper division	Result
Athens State University Athens State University Athens State University, located in Athens, Alabama, USA, is a two-year upper level university. Athens State is the only two-year upper level university in the state of Alabama. Thirty-three different majors are offered to junior and senior students....	1975	—	Current upper division college
College of the Pacific	1935	1951	Expanded to four years
Concordia Senior College Concordia Senior College Concordia Senior College was a liberal arts college located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod...	1957	1977	Closed
Florida International University Florida International University Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...	1972	1981	Expanded to four years
Garfield Senior College	1971	1985	Merged with Lake Erie College Lake Erie College Lake Erie College is a private liberal arts college that is located in Painesville, Ohio, approximately east of Cleveland. As of the 2010-2011 academic year, the enrollment was approximately 1200 undergraduates and graduate students....
Governors State University Governors State University Governors State University is a public university located in University Park, Illinois. The campus is located south of Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1969, GSU is an upper-division university, offering undergraduate courses at the junior and senior levels as well as graduate level coursework at...	1971	—	Current upper division college
John F. Kennedy University John F. Kennedy University John F. Kennedy University is a nonprofit, private university located in Pleasant Hill, California, with satellite campuses in Campbell, Berkeley, and Costa Mesa. It was founded in 1964 to focus on providing continuing opportunities for non-traditional higher education. Enrollment is approximately...	1965	—	Current upper division college
Metropolitan State University Metropolitan State University Metropolitan State University is a four-year public university located in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, United States. It is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.-History:...	1973	1994	Expanded to four years
Penn State Harrisburg Penn State Harrisburg Penn State Harrisburg, also called The Capital College, is an undergraduate college and graduate school of the Pennsylvania State University. The main campus of Penn State Harrisburg is located in Lower Swatara Township, 9 miles south of Harrisburg...	1966	2004	Expanded to four years
Richmond College Richmond College Richmond College is a primary and secondary school in Galle, Sri Lanka. The school was established in 1814 by Christian missionaries. Richmond College is now a well established institution with a reputation as one of the finest schools in Sri Lanka...	1965	1976	Merged with community college
SUNY Institute of Technology State University of New York Institute of Technology The State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome is a campus of the State University of New York located just north of Utica in the town of Marcy. Established by the SUNY Board of Trustees on June 14, 1966, SUNYIT is the State of New York's public institute of technology....	1966	2003	Expanded to four years
Texas A&M International University Texas A&M International University Texas A&M International University, often referred to as TAMIU, is a public, co-educational, state-supported university located in Laredo, Texas...	1969	1995	Expanded to four years
Texas A&M University–Central Texas Texas A&M University–Central Texas Texas A&M University–Central Texas is a public university in Killeen, Texas - Ft.Hood,TX. It is one of the newest members of The Texas A&M University System. Founded in 1999 as a branch of Tarleton State University, it became an independent branch of the Texas A&M University System in September 2009...	2009	—	Recently established upper division college
Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi is a state university located in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States, on Ward Island in Oso Bay. The university is part of the Texas A&M University System...	1973	1994	Expanded to four years
Texas A&M University–San Antonio Texas A&M University–San Antonio Texas A&M University–San Antonio is a public university located in San Antonio, Texas, USA that was established on May 23, 2009, and held its first classes as a stand-alone university on August 20, 2009...	2009	—	Recently established upper division college
Texas A&M University–Texarkana	1971	2008	Expanded to four years
University of Baltimore University of Baltimore The University of Baltimore , located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood at 1420 N. Charles Street, is part of the University System of Maryland. Through the Freshman Initiative or Lower Division Initiative, UB has transformed from an upper division university to a...	1975	2005	Expanded to four years
University of Hawaii–West Oahu	1976	2007	Expanded to four years
University of Houston–Clear Lake University of Houston–Clear Lake The University of Houston–Clear Lake is a state university, and is a component institution of the University of Houston System. Its campus spans 524-acre in Pasadena, with a satellite campus in Pearland. Founded in 1971, UHCL has an enrollment of more than 8,000 students...	1971	2011	Expanded to four years
University of Houston–Victoria University of Houston–Victoria The University of Houston–Victoria is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Houston System. Its campus spans 20-acre in Victoria, with satellite locations at UH System centers in Sugar Land and Cinco Ranch...	1971	2009	Expanded to four years
University of Illinois at Springfield University of Illinois at Springfield The University of Illinois at Springfield is a public university in Springfield, Illinois. The University was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the University of Illinois system on July 1, 1995.The University of Illinois at...	1969	2001	Expanded to four years
University of Michigan–Dearborn	1959	1971	Expanded to four years
University of Michigan–Flint	1956	1965	Expanded to four years
University of North Florida University of North Florida The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...	1972	1984	Expanded to four years
University of Texas at Brownsville	1973	1998	Expanded to four years
University of Texas at Dallas University of Texas at Dallas The University of Texas at Dallas, also referred to as UT Dallas or UTD, is a public research university in the University of Texas System. The main campus is in the heart of the Richardson, Texas, Telecom Corridor, north of downtown Dallas...	1969	1990	Expanded to four years
University of Texas at Tyler University of Texas at Tyler The University of Texas at Tyler, also referred to as UT Tyler, is a coeducational public university located in Tyler, Texas. Founded in 1971, it is a component institution of the University of Texas System....	1971	1998	Expanded to four years
University of Texas of the Permian Basin University of Texas of the Permian Basin The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is located in Odessa, Texas. It was authorized by the Texas Legislature in 1969 and founded in 1973...	1973	1991	Expanded to four years
University of West Florida University of West Florida The University of West Florida, also known as West Florida and UWF, is a mid-sized public university located in Pensacola, Florida, United States. UWF is a member institution of the State University System of Florida. The University of West Florida is a Research University, which specializes in...	1967	1983	Expanded to four years